I'm no stranger to parks and beautiful natural places, but Acadia is like a dreamscape. There's…read morestunning ocean views from crumbling gorgeous cliff sides. There are lakes, streams, ponds, scenic lighthouses, boats, bikes, trails, gardens, crazy hikes with vertical iron rungs, rolling forest hikes, lighthouses, and more! The main issue you'll run into is crowds.. lots of people want to come here, especially in July and August. Best thing to do, go in as early as possible, do some things, take a break, go back again after 3. If you're early, you can get a parking spot then work from there. If you are flexible on time, take advantage of the shuttles, but be warned, they may be full, and they don't run every 10-15 minutes, so plan accordingly. I would be in the park by 7, have plans maybe on a tour in Bar Harbor late morning or early afternoon, then head back after 4, and I got to all the must-do's, ie hiked the Beehive, the Bubbles, Cadillac Mountain sunrise and sunset (reserve this early as spots sell out, I booked mine 3 months in advance the minute they released and they were sold out shortly later, especially sunrise tickets), Jordan Pond and popovers, Bass Harbor Lighthouse, as well as some boat tours in the area, including very successful whale and puffin watching. For more hints and tips, I watched some YouTube videos, there's great info out there, especially the videos from Ash, a former park ranger, who has loads of helpful tips to get around and not spend your trip sitting in traffic or waiting in a parking spot.

Did we go in a wrong entrance or something?!…read more I was underwhelmed for sure. We walked a few trails and took some photos but ??? Im very glad we hit Cadillac Mountain - that's where it's at!!!

While in Acadia we stopped in at the main visitor center to grab some pamphlets as well as prepare…read morefor our hiking trip. This visitor center is fairly large and had a decent selection of information including a topographical exhibit. The staff here was also polite and had some interactive displays for children.

The plaza houses your typical chain restaurants and services, but also the Center for Maine Crafts…read morethat includes the work of the 300 members of the Maine Craft Association. There was literally something of interest for everyone at fairly reasonable prices.

My Yelp pal Amanda B mentioned this spot to me when I called her from Gardiner Maine to tell her I…read morewas on my way home. She told me there was an incredible local craft store right inside the highway rest stop. Honestly, I believed her and didn't believe her all at the same time. ...We had to stop for gas anyway, so we headed in to use the rest rooms and check out the center. Turned out to be a pretty spectacular array of not only Maine crafts, but Maine syrups, jams and mustards as well! 100% worth the stop!

DO NOT GO ON THE WOODLAND TRAIL! My husband and I are outside people. We hike, camp, take our dog…read moreto the woods every day. The sculpture path was lovely, but the woodland trail was the most miserable walk either of us has ever taken. We are not stupid. Bugs live in the woods. But this was horrible. We put on deep woods bug spray before we left and still spent the entire time desperately swatting away mosquitoes. At one point we both had to run after being bitten by bees. I now have a swollen bleeding bite on my calf. It was disgusting. Definitely go. The sculpture park was lovely. Just stay out of the woods.

We visited this preserve on our way back from Rockland, and it was worth the detour. What seems to…read morebe another trail in the middle of nowhere is actually filled with over a dozen large-scale wooden sculptures by Maine-born artist Bernard Langlais. The pieces are beautiful and all found around the preserve's entrance, so you don't have to walk much to see them all. There's a cute visitor center with postcards and other things for sale, exhibits, and even a short film to learn more about the artist's life. The young woman working the exhibit was so kind and welcoming--she gave us a quick history lesson about the space and the art. We learned that many of the sculptures will eventually become one with the Earth due to the elements and Langlais's wish not to repair them. The art preserve is free, but there is a $10 suggested donation.

This was the first of three lighthouse we visited while staying in Camden and this one is probably…read moremy favorite of the three. It's unique in layout and they had a really cute gift shop off to the side. I love the short walk from the parking lot, location, and stairs. It's in the charming Owl's Head town and the drive in was beautiful. Definitely a place to visit if you are nearby and love lighthouses. Worth the effort and you can explore some of the small local towns and have lunch.

I did not see any owls at this state park, and I would think that the windy bluffs are not the spot…read morewhere you'd find one as they seem to prefer quiet areas. However, the views are majestic and entrance is free. There are ways to walk down to the beach, which is rocky as is typical in the region. The lighthouse itself is not regularly open for visitation, but there is a visitor center below it. The amount of trails and things to do is not enormous, but it is a great place to have open to the public to take as a sightseeing endeavor.

I stopped in here to learn more about Portland and was not disappointed! Helen was really sweet and…read morehelpful. The center has a ton of pamphlets and clean restrooms.

From the owner: 1.7 million passengers come through the Jetport, over 1/2 million train riders arrive on the…read moreDowneaster, 95,000 passengers disembark from cruise ships; 8.5 million day and overnight travelers visit the Greater Portland Region each year. Visit Portland (Greater Portland's Destination Marketing Organization) works to attract these visitors and their dollars to you!

Cadillac Mountain is a must-see when traveling to Bar Harbor, Maine…read more It gives a great overview of the harbor and a real rugged experience. But be prepared. Make reservations in advance online; you can't make them in person. You must buy park tickets, which are $35 (kind of ridiculous for a state park), and $6 bucks to tour the top of the mountain. They had a small gift shop and only one working restroom with two portalets close by. Some people drive it, some hike it to see the sunrise and some bike it. I would only recommend driving it given how narrow the road is and it's off the side of a cliff. It was a nice overall experience.

We opted for the one and a half hour shore excursion that takes you to the top of the highest peak…read moreon the North Atlantic Seaboard. You enter Arcadia National Park. Today it was foggy yet as we ascended up we climbed above the clouds: surreal and beautiful. There is a gift shop and a restroom.

Less than an acre, this is a nice short stop along the Park Loop Road. During our visit in late…read moreJune, there were a few flowers blooming. The plants are labeled for easy identification. Parking is readily available.

A beautiful garden with labeling of the plants. There is an on-site nature center. There was also a…read morebeautiful easy trail that loops back to the garden. The Holman / Dorr paths were easily accessible from the garden trail. These two trails were more difficult since vertical hiking and climbing were required. Due to miscalculation of time and prior commitment, our party of six didn't summit and cross the pass of Dorr Path. We had to turn back. My family will return and take care of this unfinished pleasure. Parking was plentiful.

Absolutely gorgeous trail through stunning forest that goes around Jordan Pond in Acadia National…read morePark. The trail is a little over 3 miles around. Jordan Pond trail connects to several other trails too, including the trail to Bubble Rock. A portion of the trail is on sturdy wooden planks to easily walk on, a very short section of the trail does have large boulders to navigate but most of the trail is a level dirt path. There are obvious signs of wildlife everywhere, such as beavers having chewed through trees, frogs along the waters edge, birds, wild turkey & roaming deer. We saw people of all ages walking (with their dogs too) the entire trail & we brought 4 little girls (ages 5-12) who all easily navigated the trail! No swimming allowed in this pond & bring a water bottle! There is a gift shop, food & bathrooms by the parking lot only.

The walk around Jordan Pond is beautiful and stress free. We stopped here with a group of 5 and 2…read moredogs. We made sure that we got to the parking lot early (8 AM) on a weekday to ensure easy parking. During a past trip, we arrived in the parking lot at 11 AM and it was utter chaos. We did not want to make that mistake again. The early start meant that the trail was very quiet with low traffic when we visited in early June.